Crash Bandicoot: Cortex's Second Coming
by Austin Miller
Summary: Following the collapse of an apocalyptic empire, Doctor Neo Cortex sets out to create a new army to regain his seat atop the world. But one of his soldiers seeks to stop him at any cost. Follow the tale of Crash Bandicoot, as he attempts to thwart Cortex's plans and restore the world to its former glory!
1. Chapter 1: Chairman Talins

Thanks for checking out Crash Bandicoot: Cortex's Second Coming! Be sure to Favorite and/or Follow! Email me at austin91011 if you have any comments!  
-

"Three years, Neo. That's all we can do. We need evidence of your progress before we can continue funding your Cortex Commandos Project. We've spent too much money and have dwindled too many of our resources trying to keep you safe until you can get back on top. If you can't show us a Commando by then, we're going to have to shut you down ourselves, got it?"

Cortex began sweating nervously. "I've sent you the blueprints of the Cortex Vortex AND the Evolvo-Ray; isn't that evidence enough for the Board? Your oil fields won't dry up in three years; you have plenty of time and money to invest in the project. The world already thinks that I and the other original Commandos were killed off completely. There's no suspicion, and no reason to tip-toe around anymore. We're completely off the grid, and the world is under a sole leadership, meaning that this time around, it will be cheaper and quicker to take over the world."

"Look, Neo, we'd love to extend your deadline. No one has ever shown as much promise as you have. You have more potential and have shown more results than anyone we've ever invested in, but Chairman Talins insists that we fund one of his private operations, leaving no room in the budget for a toppled tyrant like you. You're just going to have to come up with a specimen to show us. We'll meet back in month for a progress report." CLICK. The screen of each board member flickered off one by one.

N. Brio, who was outside the door listening in, walked in the room nervously. "D-doctor C-Cortex, the radars are p-picking up a jet heading for our l-l-location! Should we c-c-ommence with firing our t-torpedos?"

Cortex turned around slowly. "Not yet Dr. Brio, let's invite our guest in. One small jet can't do a fortress such as this any harm. Let's see what they want. Then we can ring their necks and hang them over the side of the castle as a warning for other trespassers. "

"V-very good, d-doctor." Brio nodded and silently left the room.

Cortex banged his fist on the table. "I need more time! Don't these people understand that taking over the world isn't a business?! It's a seed that needs to be nurtured and cared for until it grows into a beautiful flower. It can't just be expected to grow when the gardener chooses for it to! I'm nowhere near ready for actual animal trials, it would be too risky." Cortex calmed down and began pacing the room. "What would the Chairman be working on that would drain the funds anyways? Is there another man that the board puts its faith in?"

"I'm glad you asked, Dr. Cortex." Cortex jumped back with his hand on his laser. "W-who's there," Cortex stuttered.

"Relax, Neo, it's me, Joseph Talins. I came here to directly inform you of the project that I decided to heavily invest in, but I guess the board already mentioned that to you." He began to chuckle and took a seat at the head of the table. "Sit, Neo. We're not strangers here." Cortex, without losing eye contact, slowly lowered himself into a chair near the door. "Now, Neo, you are one of our most loyal and valuable assets, so I'm willing to tell you anything you want to know about this project, and why it means so much to me personally, along with the rest of the board."

Hesitating, Cortex stared at the Chairman, who returned the stare with very soft eyes, almost gentle. I guess that was the mask he was forced to always wear, Cortex thought. After all, he is the Vice President of Leadership Management for the world right now; he has to have a certain image.

Cortex and Joseph had known each other since Cortex was in High School. He and Brio, sick of the tortures that High School and life had brought them, detonated a bomb causing a 'freak explosion' in the school, and likewise detonated one at the circus where Cortex's family performed. Joseph had offered to fund Cortex and Brio if they were willing to further their destruction to the entire world, a dream that Cortex had always had. Cortex built the Cortex Vortex with the money, and immediately enslaved the leaders of the world, creating the first Cortex Commandos. Funded by the board, Cortex went on to take over the world by the time he was 22 years old. Of course another force led by a masked man was trying to steal the control that Cortex had. The conflict between the two evils grew so much that Cortex's control slipped from him as freedom began to take back the planet right under his nose. Cortex and his army were then hunted down. Cortex and Brio, however, escaped from the ruin of their kingdom, faking their deaths and fleeing to a discrete archipelago off the coast of Australia. The scientists did everything they could to repair the minds of the world leader-made-military, but it could not be done, and they were all executed on sight.

"Neo?"

Cortex blinked and looked over at the blank screen. "Who are you funding, and what are they planning?"

The Chairman smiled. "Two very good questions, Doctor. The person I'm funding came to us. During a meeting, he walked in and gave his speech and left. The kid had white hair, and a very cold heart. We actually met him not long after I confronted you for the first time. We took a liking to him because of a certain object he possessed. He walked up to me, and he set a jar on my desk. He told me, 'This holds DNA of one of the greatest creatures to ever walk this earth. I need your money to bring this creature back to life. With him, and a few other key players, I can bring the world to its knees.' Well, long story short, recently, he brought that creature back to life, so, with such quick progress, we decided to invest a lot in the boy."

Intrigued, Cortex looked at Talins. "So, you're giving all of your funds to a kid with a monster?"

The Chairman sat up and leaned over to Cortex. His pleasant appearance disappeared and his piercing green eyes seemed to look through Cortex. "I thought the same thing. But as he walked out of the room, I saw the lotus tattoo on the back of his neck."

Cortex looked uninterested as he began wiping a smudge from his table. "And how does that make him special?"

Joseph stood up. "Cortex, this man is a master of all martial arts, as a young child. He managed to trace down the board, which leaves no fingerprints. Even after finding us, he was able to get past our guards, guards that I hired myself. This is no ordinary kid."

Listening to the fear in the Chairman's voice, Cortex began to laugh. "You mean to tell me, the second most powerful man in the world is scared of a child? Joseph, since I met you, I knew you were only a stiff behind a desk. You're afraid to get your hands dirty. But this is ridiculous. Put a bullet between his eyes and end him. "

"It's not that simple, Neo. I've sent man after man to kill this kid, but to no avail. In our meeting the other day, a package was delivered. When we opened the box, inside were all of the heads of the assassins we sent after him. He's good, Neo."Joseph looked down at his watch. "Well, it's about time for me to leave." His faced brightened back up to his usual kind expression. "I have a meeting with the Leadership Council, and then a press conference on the bill to clean up the streets after what you left for us." He chuckled, waved, and walked out of the door. Cortex stood up and followed him.

"You're going to wish you would've invested more money in my Commandos project when you see the new Commandos, Chairman Talins."

Joseph boarded his jet. "You're probably right, Neo. But I need more than idle words, I need results. I'll be back in three years for a demonstration." With that, the jet door closed, speeding out of the castle into the distance. Brio walked up behind Cortex.

"W-what do we do now, d-doctor?"

"Bring the venus fly traps into the lab. We've got to get this project started as fast as we can."


	2. Chapter 2: General of the Commandos

"Okay, Brio, I think it's time to fire up the Cortex Vortex one last time."

The machine began to hum and shake as 12 Lab Assistants walked into the room trying to contain the mighty koala. They struggled, walking him over to the Cortex Vortex. The closer he got, the more nervous he became. He began to violently thrash about, destroying many of the Lab Assistants trying to oppress him. Brio threw a switch, and more Lab Assistants began to pour into the room, finally overwhelming the koala. Cortex casually approached the beast with a long, sharp needle in his hands. The koala's eyes grew big, and he began to yell and shift uneasily in his seat.

Cortex walked up to the massive creature. "Are you ready to be the general of my army? Of course you aren't. But we'll take care of that," Cortex whispered in its ear. The koala cried out one last time before the chair began to rise up into the Vortex.

The koala quickly disappeared inside of the machine. Smoke and flashes of light filled the room, along with the uneasy cries of the large beast. Brio walked over to Cortex, who hadn't moved, looking up into the Cortex Vortex to see his work in progress."D-doctor, should we turn the machine off?"

"Yes, that would be best, Brio." Brio scurried over to the Vortex and typed in a combination of numbers. The machine clicked and slowly died down. The Screen next to the Vortex showed an image of a koala, along with '100% Complete' typed under it. The chair was lowered and the beast still screamed in agony. Cortex punctured the koala with his needle, putting him to sleep immediately. "Such a large creature; the Cortex Vortex's full effect will take longer against his immune system. Let's keep him unconscious for the remainder of the day." Brio nodded and motioned for the Lab Assistants. They picked up the large creature and walked out of the room.

Cortex walked over to his computer and pressed a button. The computer began to glow, and a feed of Cortex popped up, with a flashing red circle in the top right of the video."On this day in 1884, I have finally finished the Commandos sample project. I will approach the board with my sample tomorrow morning, and get the funding necessary for my retaking of the planet." He pressed the button again, and the computer shut itself off. He walked out of the room and down the hallway, where he passed by the koala's sleeping chamber, where the Lab Assistants were finally able to leave him. Brio walked out of the room as soon as Cortex passed by. Brio decided to follow him down the hallway.

"You know, Brio, I've noticed that this Cortex Vortex isn't as powerful as our first one. The other Commandos so far seem to be showing signs of personality. They are still loyal, but seem to be a little freer than the former Commandos. Are you seeing it too, Brio?"

Brio looked at Cortex. "It m-might just be a temporary side-effect d-doctor. These aren't p-p-people. They're animals."

Cortex nodded."Yes, I thought about that, Brio. But it seems like the personalities have developed since the rest of their character has been destroyed. The potaroo has created several shanks from his chamber and has attacked several Lab Assistants. The kangaroo, who suffered from the evolution deficiency, has also been violently attacking the Assistants. We've had to fit him with a straight jacket, because he would rip their limbs off. Just don't see the meeting with the board going very well."

Brio looked down. "W-we have to do well. There's n-no other place to get funds for such a p-p-project without being located. We need a C-Commando to really impress the board; a really powerful leader."

"You're right. You're very right. Maybe, the other problem is the sex of each of our Commandos; we should try both a male and female of the species we use. What species do we have on the islands?"

Thinking, Brio stopped immediately. "L-let's see. Koala, p-potaroo, crocodile, kangaroo, t-turtle, crab, d-d-dingo, rat, armadillo, and b-bandicoot."

Cortex stopped, too. "What the hell is a bandicoot?"

Cowering, Brio whimpered, "It's a s-small marsupial, about the size of the rats on t-t-this island. It's a pretty decent specimen: b-basic b-brain function, adaptable tissue construction, great speed and ag-g-gility, and a remarkable resistance to most attacks from p-predators."

"Yes, I think that's what we've been missing. We've been using animals that are less likely to be eaten in the wild! What we've needed all along was an animal on the menu of most animals on these islands! An animal that knows how to survive! An animal that can sense danger and work with a group! Yes, creating a male and female, with such easy-to-manipulate DNA, exactly how we want them to look! We won't make him big, like the koala, or as tall as the potaroo. We have to make him small and lean enough to force him to control the Commandos through leadership, not brute strength. Yes, the board will love this! My own General Bandicoot! Hurry,Brio! We have little time! Calibrate the Evolvo-Ray, and I'll go capture the bandicoots we need!" Cortex immediately ran out of the hallway and into the docking port. He began to climb the rope ladder to his blimp that hadn't been used since his world takeover.

Hurriedly he climbed, looking forward, never looking at how far he climbed, but always looking at his destination.

Getting on top of the blimp, he climbed down the hatch into the cockpit. The room gave him goosebumps; the last time this room had been used when he was patrolling the fallen cities with Brio and N. Gin. He and Brio created a fake blimp and crashed it into rocks on the tide, and watched the blimp burn as he and Brio watched from the clouds on their way to the islands. Cortex sat down at one of the computers that the Commandos had used to scan the area for reports. The screen was ready for code input; the space blinking over and over. He began to wonder whatever happened to N. Gin.

Dr. Nikolai Gin was a student that shared a dorm with both Brio and Cortex when they were students at Madame Amberly's Academy of Evil. N. Gin came from wealthy Russian parents who were key figures in the Cold War. As a child, he spent a lot of time in the missile factory that his parents ran. One day, a freak accident occurred, and Nikolai had a low-powered rocket crash into his head. Luckily, the speed and the thickness of Nikolai's head prevented the rocket from going out through the other side. The nuclear energy inside of the rocket, however, deteriorated half of his face, forcing his parents to create a metal shell to cover it up. Soviet doctors tried to remove the rocket several times, but to no avail; the nuclear warping of his head fused both the rocket and his head, making it a vital part of Nikolai's body.

Cortex fired up the engines and began to steer the blimp over to the Native Island, where he knew he'd find bandicoots. He put down the blimp on the beach, and climbed back out of the hatch. He had his laser gun out at his hip. He also pulled out of the blimp a hoverboard, a new, fragile prototype that he was trying out. He climbed on it and hovered down to the ground, where he was met by a group of charging, angry natives. Cortex, without any hesitation, shot a beam at the largest one, who exploded immediately. The other two natives, fascinated at his magic, fled from Cortex rapidly, crying out in their native language. Cortex laughed and continued his hunt. On his hoverboard, he quickly navigated through what the natives called the "Turtle Woods".

At the center of the forest, he found a large rock, with a particular burrow under it. Cortex blasted the rock with his laser gun, scaring twelve bandicoots out of the hole. Cortex pulled out a net and gathered them up, killing all but two males and two females with a small stun gun. The two surviving bandicoots began to panic. The female bandicoot gnawed through the net and escaped. Cortex tried to catch her, but she disappeared back into the forest. "Damn it," Cortex muttered to himself. He took the three bandicoots he had back with him to the blimp, and took off again for the castle.

At the castle, Brio had the Evolvo-Ray up and running, configured for the three bandicoots. He put the first one in immediately, which happened to be one of the male bandicoots. It squealed as it was strapped to the table for evolution. The other two were placed in a cage labeled 'bandicoot'. In their fear and panic, the two in the cage became very friendly with each other, sniffing at each other and burrowing into each other's fur as the noises roared and the lights flashed outside of the cage. They knew that no matter what happened, they'd be safe if they stayed together. Both bandicoots, because of the excitement, fell asleep quickly, nuzzled next to each other in the damp, dark cage.


	3. Chapter 3: Crash Bandicoot

The two bandicoots awoke to the sound of screaming, and quickly rushed towards the back of the cage. At the Evolvo-Ray, the first male bandicoot had finished its transformation. As the smoke cleared, the bandicoot was trying to free itself from the cuffs on its wrists. It was a maroon color, eyes full of rage and anger. It began shouting loudly, trying to reach for the people who had turned him into a monster.

Cortex began to jump in excitement as he gave the bandicoot a shot of narcotics. The bandicoot slowly drifted to sleep, and the Lab Assistants placed him in the Cortex-Vortex chair. They machine hummed and the bandicoot was raised up inside. The machine began to screech as a blinding light filled the room. Cortex began laughing until he heard an unfamiliar sound from the machine; violent shaking and banging was coming from inside, along with the usual screaming from the animal inside. "Brio, shut down the machine! Something isn't working right!" Brio quickly pulled the lever back down, and the chair slowly began to descend. Cortex had his laser gun out, pointed at the lowering chair, his hands shaking.

Immediately, the bandicoot jumped out, with wires in its mouth, and cords in its hands. He lunged at Cortex, knocking the gun away from him. It then lunged at Brio, who moved out of the way. The bandicoot began to run around the lab, tearing everything down as it did.

"No, no, no!" Cortex picked up his laser gun and began aiming at the bandicoot. "I'm too close to having my general! You leave me no choice, bandicoot!" Cortex fired the laser, which struck the bandicoot in the arm.

The arm completely disintegrated, causing blood to spew out at a rapid pace. The bandicoot began howling in pain, and ran over to the cages of animals. He began beating on every door, including the door to the two, unevolved bandicoots that had begun to hyperventilate from all of the excitement. As he stared inside the cage, a laser beam came at his head, and it completely exploded. Blood and tissue flew all over the two bandicoots, along with the rest of the cages. The headless and armless body fell to the ground. Cortex walked over to it and moved its body around with his boot. "Damn, it…" Cortex closed his eyes. "Brio! Fix the machine. We only have a couple of hours until the meeting! We have to get our secret weapon ready!" Brio sprinted to the machine and began hooking wires up and connecting tubes of gas together.

"Okay, d-doctor! There were only m-minor damages. I'm going to run some basic operational t-tests first." Brio got behind one of the many computers in the room and began punching in buttons to simulate the use of the Cortex Vortex. The machine began to hum. Cortex smiled. Not everything had gone wrong! But as soon as this thought crossed his mind, the machine began to make very clunky, mechanical sounds. The large monitor in the room began blinking the big, red words: REJECT.

Yelling, Cortex beat his fists on the table. The two bandicoots, which had finished grooming each other clean, scurried to the back of their cage again in ignorant fear. "Why can't anything go right? It was that wretched bandicoot! Brio, run the simulation again."

Brio began testing and testing the machine for an hour and a half, but with no avail. Cortex finally gave up. "Brio, shut it down and reboot it, then we'll try our next bandicoots!" Brio looked worried, but did what Cortex wanted. The machine powered down, and then immediately booted back up.

"Lab Assistants, grab the female bandicoot and put her in the machine!" The Lab Assistants hurried over to the cage and yanked the door open. The female bandicoot moved to the back corner away from the evil hand. The male bandicoot, however, stood in front of her and began biting at the fingers of the Lab Assistants. Cortex saw this and told them to bring the male one instead, since he was so eager to be first.

The male bandicoot squealed and gnashed as he was being carried over to the table The Evolvo-Ray was immediately booted up and the bandicoot, strapped under a single clamp, looked over at the cage, where he could see his companion for this dark time at the door of their cage watching. The male bandicoot closed its eyes.

Suddenly, waves of electricity rolled off the machine into the bandicoot, and as its silhouette flashed throughout the room, the bandicoot grew larger and larger, more proportional to a human. The machine finally died down, and the process was complete: the bandicoot was now an evolved Commando. "Hurry, Brio" Cortex demanded, "We have such little time! It's almost morning! The sun is going to rise in exactly one hour!"

Brio stopped what he was doing and looked at Cortex. "But doctor, we have not determined the cause of past f-failures!"

Turning, Cortex looked at Brio with a look of pure hatred. "Moron!" As he said this, Cortex beat his fist on the table of the Evolvo-Ray, right by the bandicoot's head. "This bandicoot WILL be my general, and he WILL lead my Cortex Commandos to world domination! I will reign triumphant!" Brio took two beakers and began mixing together a more powerful sedative for the bandicoot. Cortex took a needle from the table and injected the bandicoot.

"T-this should keep him drugged enough to be conscious, but unable to move until he's already in the V-Vortex," Brio muttered quietly. Cortex, ignoring him, took the paralyzed bandicoot over to the Vortex and strapped him in. Meanwhile, the Lab Assistants were strapping the female bandicoot down on the table, and the Evolvo-Ray began zapping her. She began to grow like the male bandicoot did, and was immediately taken off of the table, clothed, and held away from the other bandicoot by two Lab Assistants.

As the bandicoot sat in the chair strapped down, Cortex's heart began to pump violently. "Quickly," he yelled, "into the Vortex!"

Not all of the operations were back up, so Brio began cranking the bandicoot up into the machine. "But Doctor Cortex," the panicked Brio began to say, "the Vortex is not ready! We have no idea what it could do!" His breath became short, and fell to the floor, fainted.

Cortex pushed his unconscious body to the side and finished cranking the bandicoot up and pulled the lever. The room got dark and quiet, when the blinding white light shot out from the machine. His eyes widened at the final completion of his sample Cortex Commandos.

A red light began to flash around the room, and Cortex panicked. He looked at the screen, which read, "BANDICOOT 1.0 REJECT". Cortex began yelling, "Failure again!" The bandicoot climbed out of the chair, and saw that Cortex was running straight at him. "Capture him!" The Lab Assistants began running at him too. The bandicoot, panicked, ran and busted open the window and fell into the ocean below. Cortex looked down into the dark water. Without looking up, Cortex said in a low tone, "Prepare the female bandicoot."

Walking into his board room, Cortex pulled the switch, turning on the lights and booting up the computers. Brio ran in, holding his head. "D-doctor, what happened to the male bandicoot?"

Cortex looked down. "He's dead, the Vortex rejected him and he jumped out of the window. The Vortex is broken, and we have no general. So bring me the kangaroo, the potaroo, and the koala." The screens flashed on, and each board member's face appeared. "Good morning, everyone, I know it's an early meeting, so I'll just keep this short. Brio has gone to retrieve our sample Commandos that I will be presenting to you. Each Commando is built for a different type of warfare, and, in great numbers, will serve the new Cortex Commandos very well." Brio walked in with all of the mutated animals. "Ah, here they are now! The koala, as you can see, is a fine specimen of our Bulk Commandos, animals who will be the powerhouses in the army, all brawn, no brain, perfect for serving under a-" Cortex, avoiding the word general, quickly moved on. "Secondly, we have a kangaroo, who had a brain that did not grow into its body it seems, leaving him completely mentally retarded. But, loyal to me, this kangaroo would be willing to serve in the most ridiculous of missions, even those that were suicidal, one-way missions. The potaroo over here is an expert in all weaponry, and is a skilled shot. We programmed his brain similar to that of an Italian gangster, so that he could obey me, while running his own operation aside from the standard Commandos. "

The board began to write in their notepads. "Do they have names, Neo?"

Cortex began to sweat, as he looked towards the animals, who, in turn, looked back at Cortex. "Of course," he began. "The koala is Koala...Kong, the potaroo is…um…Pinstripe…and…the kangaroo is Ripper the Kangaroo…no, Ripper Roo." He swallowed a big lump in his throat.

The board continued to scribble notes, finally looking up at Cortex. "It seems," the board member on the far right began, "that your animals are sufficient in military combat, but, they lack complete and total control, Neo, am I right?"

"Well, they still fall under my leadership completely, and would lay down their-"

"Do any of them have any leadership capabilities? Able to manage their own smaller groups in combat?"

"Well, the potaroo has shown the most intelligence and can-"

"I'm sorry, Cortex. This just doesn't cut it. These animals are all very loyal to you, but just don't seem to have what it takes for mass production funding. We're cutting your project and your funding. We will be sending a team to retrieve all of our communication devices. We can't leave any footprints, Neo. You understand, don't you?"

Cortex looked up at the board. "You mean, I've spent half of my life loyal to this board, and suddenly, I'm thrown out on my own? What are Brio and I supposed to live on here?" The screens all clicked off. Brio walked into the room, and stood still and quiet, as if Cortex wouldn't be able to see him if he didn't move. "Lab Assistants! Assemble!" Every Lab Assistant gathered around the doorway to the room, forcing Brio inside. "Okay, everybody. This is what we're going to do. We're going to exploit every resource of this island for power, resources, and, eventually, money, so we can fund the Commandos project on our own. We're going to move in, take our ground, and destroy anyone that opposes us, and that includes the board. Koala…Kong, you and a team of Lab Assistants go to the nearest island and take over the natives' mine. Find out what sorts of rocks we're dealing with around here, and see if any of them are profitable. Ripper Roo, you and another team of Lab Assistants go to the waterfalls of that same island, and see if we can't work out a hydroelectric way of powering the castle. I left four sets of large water boards at the dock; they should be capable of moving between the islands. The Lab Assistants, along with the two animals, left the room, leaving Brio and Pinstripe. "Okay, Brio, I'm going to need you to show Pinstripe to our Nuclear Plant. We're going to need his help to manufacture some nuclear weapons, to sell to terrorist groups around the world, and he is the perfect candidate for negotiating with terrorists. He will also oversee the manufacture and distribution of these weapons. So get to it, Pinstripe." Pinstripe left the room.

Brio approached Cortex. "You know that we'll need more than one potaroo to handle the plant and the negotiations, right?"

"Of course Brio, it's all under control. How long do you think it will take to get the Vortex in working order again? I want our female general fitted for duty in time for us to get the army manufactured. I'm glad our last bandicoot was rejected; all he did was crash into everything anyways, which is ironic, because that's exactly how he died. I'm glad that I don't have a Crash Bandicoot in my Commandos."


	4. Chapter 4: Spirit of the Island

Colors and sounds slowly poured into the bandicoot's head, making his eyes very hesitant to open. An empty blue sky was all that was visible. A lone, white bird began to circle above him, riding only the winds brought in by the sea, not exerting any of its own energy. He could feel himself breathe slowly. Each breath was deep and full, slowly allowing other feelings to come to him. Hunger. Thirst. He needed to scavage around for fruit. He tried to flip over, but threw himself face-down into the sand. Again he tried, struggling to put himself on all four legs...except...he didn't have four legs. Scared of his own arms, he threw himself once more, but this time, he stopped, standing straight up, looking down at the ground that was once so close to him. This new height scared him. He stood frozen in fear, as the white bird flew down to him. All he could do was stare as the bird grabbed a crab in its beak and flew into the jungle behind him. He stared into the jungle, realizing that the bird was afraid of him; he was no longer prey!

"Welcome back, young bandicoot," echoed a kind voice. The creature that had felt so powerful instantly fell back into the sand, scrambling to move. "No, there's no need to flee, child," said the voice. He stopped, recognizing the soothing tone of the voice. He turned to see a slab of wood eye-level smiling at him with gentle eyes.

"It is I, Aku Aku. It seems you've escaped from the clutches of that foul man in the black mountain." The creature turned back to a monstrous castle in the distance. Recognizing the place, all of his recent memories came flooding back to him: being separated from his family, being shocked and prodded, the beast that was destroyed in front of his face...the female bandicoot that he tried to protect...

"Do not fret. I can sense your need to return. But we must not be rash; we need to save these islands before I can help you back to the black mountain. I am the sworn protector of these islands, and I cannot allow anymore life to be taken by that man's deeds. We need to restore a natural balance back to this place. From birth, I have watched over you, your family, and all other species on these islands. We need to save them from the immenent danger that your family was confronted with." The bandicoot determinately nodded.

"He has sent his minions to pack our native fruits into crates and haul them back to his island. Without them, the life here cannot be sustained. Let's begin by smashing through the cra-" Aku Aku stopped as he saw the bandicoot clumsly spin into the box, shattering it to pieces. He then preceeded to pick up one of the fruit and eat it. "Well, you seem eager to help. Consider that a reward." The bandicoot smiled at Aku Aku and together they began to march into the jungle, determined to save the islands from Cortex's rampage.


	5. Chapter 5: A Two-Sided Coin

"I'm very disappointed. There was nothing he had to offer?" The other board members nodded disapprovingly. "Well, that's just too bad." Talins smiled at the huddled group, waving as he walked out of the room and pulled out a satellite phone. "Julie? Yes, go ahead and have my belongings waiting for me when I return. I'll be there within the hour." He pushed the antennae back in and put the phone back into his satchel.

Talins walked out of the windowless building and into a small helicopter. It took off immediately. He pulled out a small notebook and a pen and began writing as they flew over a rubbled Los Angeles.

_Dec. 19th, 4th Post Year_

_ Neo shows no promise. He is now officially cut off from funding. He has simply bit off more than he can chew. Moving onto next target: Nexus. He has revived an ancient being and plans to create more 'Nexus Angels' within the next year. There is something mysterious about this kid. He is fifteen, already has the tattoo, and seemingly a determination to create these monsters. I don't know what his plan is, but there is a lot of potential on his side right now. I'm on my way to investigate._

He put his notebook away as they landed. Thousands of people could be heard screaming from behind the railing set up around the helipad. There to meet him was a younger, blonde woman carrying a reinforced briefcase. She handed it to him and walked with him towards the Pentagon.

Suddenly, a man leaped from the crowd knocking over the security guard in front of him and pulled out a pistol. The crowd immediately began to run rampet, drowning out the threats of the crazed man. The other security guards couldn't reach him through the stampede, allowing the man to walk up to both Talins and Julie.

"Were you even listening to me, traitor?" The man was breathing heavily, tears falling from his eyes. "I've watched my family get slaughtered in front of my own eyes in this war. All of my friends, my relatives...dead because of that Cortex guy! There wasn't a body in that blimp, and we all know it! You let that bastard escape! Where is he hiding?!" He held the gun up shakingly at Julie's head, then Talins, unsure of who he should be talking to.

Julie began to look worried, but Talins had a kind smile on his face. "Cortex is dead and no threat to you, son. Just calm down, and let's-" The man put the gun on Talins' forehead and cocked it. "I don't trust you for a second. None of you new world leaders has told anyone what your plans are for fixin' everything. Open up that case of yours and let us all see what you're planning!"

Talins put his hands up and knelt down on the ground. "Sure thing, son. Put the gun down for a sec so I can pop this thing open." The crowd and guards alike quieted down in anticipation. The noise had died, and the click of the case could be heard. Talins opened it up, and spun it around so the man could see inside. "Well, son? Tell everyone what's inside." The man was stunned as he began shifting through the files and papers inside. "I-I see...housing projects...rehabilitation centers...farms..." The man couldn't finish and collapsed on the ground, dropping the gun. The guards moved in, but Talins waved them away. The only sound that filled the air was the desperate sobbing of the broken man.

Talins helped the man up and embraced him warmly. "We're in this together. We want to help you just as much as you want to be helped. We're going to fix this, son, but you need to be strong for all of those you lost. A lone clap emerged from the people, slowly growing into thunderus applause. Talins released the man, picked up his briefcase, and continued on inside with Julie at his side.

Upon entering the builing, Julie pulled out from her pocket a small box. "Your belongings, sir." Talins smiled at her and nodded as he opened the box. Inside was two copper wires and a small red button. With his fingers, he twisted the wires together. A small green light came on above the button. "In times like these, Julie, power is gained through either trust or fear. What people don't know, though, is that they are opposite sides to the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. So to get these people to trust me, I'm going to have to give them a little fear." Talins pressed in the button, causing the helicopter and the crowd around it to be engulfed in a massive fireball. The explosion knocked Julie off of her feet. She looked up to see Talins' hand, and took it, helping herself up. "Thank you, si-" Julie stopped speaking as she looked down and saw a knife handle sticking out of her chest.

"Sorry, Julie. They're going to want to blame someone, and I certainly don't want it to be me." Talins' smile was the last thing Julie saw as she slumped down on the floor and had the trigger placed in her lifeless hand. Security guards began to pour in.

"S-she tried to kill me! She tried to kill me!" Talins was shaking on the floor.

"Don't worry, sir, we'll escort you to a safer area. You're going to be alright." Talins was taken by two guards who carried him on their shoulders. "T-thank you, gentlemen," he said quietly. He put his head down, unable to resist the small smile forming in the corner of his mouth as they carried him away.


	6. Chapter 6: The Nexus Angels

Cortex sat back in his chair. Its squeak filled the empty, stone room, stirring up the caged animals. "Shut up, you damned animals!" The chaotic sound continued, forcing Cortex to leave the room.

He began to walk along the halls, deep in thought about everything that had happened to him up to that point. It had only been a few years, and so much had happened: world domination to world damnation. He stopped and gazed at the moon towering above the islands, shining sharply through the windows. "What is so special about this kid?" He began to fiddle with his gloves. "How is he more impressive than me?"

"D-Doctor?" Brio had managed to walk up on Cortex without him even knowing. "We can always find out what he's d-doing ourselves." Brio held up some papers with coordinates on them.

"What are these?" Cortex snatched the papers from Brio's hands and began thumbing through them. "How did you even obtain these?"

"When Talins came here in his j-jet, I ran some...d-diagnostics to find out where he had been. Just to be safe. Everything was heavily c-coded, but I finally was able to find the location of this new t-threat! We can leave to go there immediately." Cortex looked up at Brio. "You've done well, Brio. But I think I'll take this journey alone. I want to test this kid's meddle myself.

"Of course, D-doctor."

Cortex took the papers and headed for his blimp. "I'll be back soon. Keep an eye on those animals..especially the evolved female bandicoot. I don't want her escaping like her friend did."

...

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP. Cortex opened his eyes to see he was above a very small building in the middle of the jungle. He stepped out on his hover board and slowly descended into the brush. He set his hover board aside and pulled his gun from his hip as he approached the door.

"Hello, Neo. Welcome to my humble lab," a petite, squeaky voice echoed from the jungle around Cortex.

Cortex's gun immediately fell to the ground. "Nina?" he pathetically cried back. "Nina, is that you? Where are you? Come to me!"

"If you insist." Out from the jungle stepped a young man with long, white hair and skin that matched. His eyes were a dark red color, and his lips were dead and colorless. He waved his hair back to reveal a small tattoo on his neck. "What brings a washout scientist to my neck of the woods?" Cortex couldn't understand how this could be the speaker. He wiped away his tears.

"Are you the kid that is stealing my money?"

"What a bold accusation, Doctor." A smile crept onto his face. "Now why would I steal money from a tyrant like you?"

Cortex still couldn't believe how similiar his voice was to Nina's. "Why do you sound like my sister? What game are you playing?"

"I think you need to calm down, old man. My name is Nexus, and yes, I'm currently being funded by Talins and the whole board for my project. My voice? Well, I have a gift that allows me to sound like the person that someone misses the most in their ear. Everyone hears a different voice. What happened to your sister, Neo? Why do you miss her so?"

"I'm not here to answer your questions, Nexus. I'm here to see your project. I want to know what's so great about a couple of dinosaurs."

"Dinosaurs? No, dinosaurs lived closer to the present than they did to the creature I've brought back." Nexus opened his lab door, and both he and Cortex walked in. "Follow me." Nexus led them down several flights of stairs to a dark room with a single door. "In here, Neo...this is my project." Nexus opened the door.

The light blinded Cortex's eyes. As they adjusted, he looked around the room in amazement. There were several scientists, some of the most modern technology he had ever seen all around the room...and in the middle...a massive creature. It was as dark as the night, covered in tufts of beige-colored hair. It had a single eye, empty and evil, looking around the room frantically. As it tried to escape, its muscles would bulge, revealing how muscle-bound the creature actually was. His mouth was sown shut, preventing full-fledged screams from escaping his mouth. All you could hear from him were terrified and painful grunts that came through his tightly-fastened lips.

"His name is Polyphemus. He is very unstable right now; we haven't completely rebuilt and stabilized his brain yet. He is also used to a thicker, more primitive air, the reason we keep him down here. What do you think, Neo?"

"I-I don't know what to think." Neo stumbled around approaching the creature. "Where did you even find him?"

"Have you ever been down into the old ruins, Neo?"

"Of course I have. All there are are old tools and wall paintings. Nothing like THAT down there."

"Believe me, Neo. These islands hold secrets that you couldn't possibly dream of. Why do you think the natives only live on one of the islands? They know, Neo. And they're afraid." Neo's blank expression turned stern. "I don't believe a lick of it. You are just a child. You haven't been alive long enough to know any of this."

"So, just because I'm a child, I'm a lesser man than you?" Cortex turned to Nexus. "I made this world crumble down upon itself. I thrust it into chaos. What have you done?"

Nexus' smile grew. "How did your reign end, Neo? Hmm?"

"My Citadel was infiltrated by a nosy kid and taken over from the insi-" It suddenly dawned on Cortex: this was the kid who took down his empire. THIS was the person who single-handedly freed the world from Cortex's grasp. "...it was you." Cortex couldn't speak. He looked down at the floor in disbelief.

"That's right, old man. I stopped you. Not for the benefit of anyone else, but knock you off your throne so that I could usurp it. You didn't and still don't belong there. The board knew who I was, and Talins sought me out before our encounter. He gave me the resources to bring you down from the inside."

"So Talins betrayed me for the sake of more business..."

"Of course. How could he make money off of someone who already had the world in the palm of their hand? He told me to lay low until he could gain political power. I presented him with my plan of reviving what I call the 'Nexus Angels' of the ancient earth, and he jumped on board. He told me he would cut you off, and that I would get put on the throne of the world." Nexus opened the door again. "Now, Neo, if you wouldn't mind, it would be best for you to leave before you find out anything else you shouldn't."

"Nexus, you AND Talins will pay for this. The whole board will pay! I'm currently building a new wave of Commandos, and they will crush your Nexus Angels!" Nexus chuckled. "Of course, Neo. Now be on your way."


	7. Chapter 7: The Papu Problem

"I think we need to stop and think about this." Aku Aku looked hesitantly through the brush at the natives scurrying about. "There's too many of them; we can try to sneak by, but that will take too long. We need a way- Bandicoot? Where are you?" Aku Aku began to look around the matted area where the bandicoot had stood.

Loud, indistinguishable yells came from the herd of natives. Aku Aku turned to see the Bandicoot riding one of the livestock hogs through the crowd and into the village. "I guess that is as good of a way as any." Aku Aku took off after him, easily slipping by the stunned and angry mob.

The hog tore through the camp; jumping over natives, smashing through canvases squealing maniacally. The bandicoot had as much control of the hog as the other natives did. "We should reach Papu Papu's hut soon." The bandicoot looked over at Aku Aku and gave him the thumbs up and he was jerked and bucked around on the wild hog.

Suddenly, a wall of natives blocked the path of the pig. "This is where I step in," said Aku Aku confidently. He raced in front of the bandicoot and fired a white beam from his eyes down at the feet of the natives. They began to scream some more and ran off with the skin of their feet burned off. The pig continued on, not phased by what just took place.

"Okay, go ahead and...JUMP!" The bandicoot leaped from the animal as it dashed back into the jungle. Before them was a massive hut constructed of straw and bamboo. They could smell the thick smoke as it rolled out of the small home. "Let's make this quick." The bandicoot nodded as they stepped inside.

"EY, AGA BOO NUNGA!" From a hoarde of half-dressed women rose a giant man. His only article of clothing was his luckily long grass skirt and his headpiece. He was adorned in beads and paints. He approached the bandicoot and the mask as the women left the hut. He took a huge puff of his pipe and snapped it in half, obviously irritated that he had been interrupted.

"Greetings, mighty Papu Papu. It is I, Aku Aku. I am the protector of these islands, and as you most likely know, the islands are slowly being destroyed by the man in the black mountain." Papu Papu walked to the door and pointed to the dark cloud encompassing the castle. "EH?"

"Yes, there. We need to work together to defeat that bad man. What do you say?" Papu Papu went back to his throne and sat down. He began to hum as he contemplated the offer. Confused, the bandicoot looked at Aku Aku. "Papu Papu's tribe isn't very...fond of my kind. His headpiece is," Aku Aku paused, "was a mask like me. He adorns it to show that he is mightier than the masks."

"EH, ACHA ALA MANINI. BORANA SINGIANA." The bandicoot looked at Aku Aku again.

"He says that the man provides him with wild hogs and gold. He does not want to fight his ally." Aku Aku turned to the bandicoot. "He wants to fight us." The bandicoot nodded and turned back to Papu Papu. Up close, he was even more massive. His gut stuck out so far, that he couldn't even see Papu Papu's face. Immediately, Papu Papu swung his staff down at the duo. The bandicoot stepped sideways as the staff smashed a hole into the floor. Aku Aku looked towards him. "You'll need to defeat him. There's no reasoning with him."

The bandicoot dodged one swing after another. The chief was much faster than he anticipated. A glimmer caught his eye. In the headpiece of Papu Papu was a small, shiny rock. Another swipe. This time, the bandicoot managed to jump onto the staff and pull out the rock from his headpiece. This knocked the giant down into the arm of his throne, knocking him unconscious.

"It seems you've found a Gem. I haven't seen one in ages. Keep it safe. We need to hurry out of here before the natives show u-" Before he could finish, a large crowd of natives met them at the doorway and tied them up. Chanting, they carried them to their boat and sailed to Cortex's castle. All the two could do was watch as the castle came closer and closer. Aku Aku and the bandicoot looked at each other, defeated, knowing that there was no way they could save the islands now.


	8. Chapter 8: A Present for Pinstripe

Aku Aku and the bandicoot looked at each other as a herd of Lab Assistants met the natives at the dock. The natives threw the two on the dock in fear and immediately began to paddle away.

"This is not how I hoped to confront the man in the black mountain," Aku Aku mumbled to himself. The Lab Assistants picked them up with a tremendous amount of strength and began to carry the two, tied-up prisoners up the stairs into the castle.

"I believe we can get out of this," whispered Aku Aku, "start squirming around." The two began shifting around, causing the two Lab Assistants to stumble. "Keep moving!" The shook even harder, causing them to fall backwards onto the misty, stone steps, smashing their robotic heads. The other Lab Assistants quickly moved in, but the bandicoot was too fast, and, grabbing one of them, spun him into the rest of the mob, causing them to crash down the steps. "Quickly, we'll move inside and block the door!" They both moved in and the bandicoot grabbed a heavy piece of machinery and dragged it to the door, where Aku Aku, with his laser vision, partially melted the metal contraption to the floor, preventing the Lab Assistants from getting back in. "We've bought ourselves some time. Let's start moving through here, and see if we can find some way to escape. I don't know how long we have until anyone else comes through here, so let's be quick."

The halls were pitch-black and damp. "Don't worry," Aku Aku said, "I can become translucent so we can see more easily." He began to glow brightly, taking on a ghostly form as the bandicoot stared in amazement; not at Aku Aku, but at the walls of the room they were in. Masks and other torn, metal memorabilia sat in glass cases, decorating the walls. There were also several paintings and old documents. As they were searching around, Aku Aku bumped into a rusted, hanging birdcage. An eerie squeak filled the silent hallways; they both froze.

As they moved from room to room, they stumbled upon a dimly lit corridor. They stopped speaking, and understood that they were about to get into a huge fight.

"I know you're out there, Pipsqueak. Come on in. Make yourself at home." They slowly walked in. Lab Assistants filled the room, and in the middle was a large animal wearing a bright red suit. "It's been a while, Lil' Red. My name is Pinstripe. I'm gonna assume you don't remember me from your little..stunt?" Pinstripe walked up to the two of them. "I'm gonna have to ask you and Feathers over here to come with me."

Pinstripe, followed by the bandicoot and Aku Aku began moving through yet another hallway. "Confusing, isn't it, fellas? This place is just an endless maze of knick-knacks and gizmos."

Aku Aku began to speak in an authoritative tone. "Where are you taking us, you weasel?"

"Relax, Feathers, no need to get huffy. I have a couple of associates that would just love to meet the two of you, especially you, Lil' Red. You made some people very angry when you busted out that window." The bandicoot continued to look down as he walked. "Y'know, Lil' Red, that girl of yours is still around here." He immediately looked up at Pinstripe. "Hey, I've got your attention! Great! She hasn't stopped yappin' about you since she got evolved. Bit of an airhead, if I do say so myself." The bandicoot began bubbling. "The doctors keep her strapped down until they can get the ol' Mean Machine working again. Man, and the crying. Now THAT is some annoyi-"

He immediately took a swing at Pinstripe, socking him in the jaw. Pinstripe looked back at him and spit the blood at his shoes. "Try a stunt like that again, Lil' Red." Again, Crash took another swing at Pinstripe, but he dodged the swing, and in a second flat, pulled out his gun and fired a single bullet. Aku Aku dove in front of the bandicoot just in time and immediately disappeared in a puff of smoke as the bullet smashed through the wood.

"Well, that was odd," Pinstripe muttered. "Guess Feathers is dead. Looks like it's just you and me now, Lil' Red. Hopefully that served as a good enough warning for ya." Pinstripe began to laugh to himself as the bandicoot looked down, tears forming in his eyes, at the place being who stood at his side, watched over him, and in a moment of no hesitation, took the bullet for him, had been. All that was left were his feathers and a pile of dust.

They continued into a large laboratory, filled from floor to ceiling with various books and beakers. "Hey, Doctor Nitrus! I found you a little present in the castle sneaking about!"

Out from behind a large desk stepped Brio. The bandicoot didn't even bother looking up; his friend was dead, and he felt dead already. "Well, w-well little bandicoot; you survived! Not only that, but you returned to the c-castle!" Brio looked at Pinstripe, who was boasting a proud grin on his face. "D-doctor Cortex is out right now. P-Pinstripe, go ahead and lock him up with the female b-bandicoot until he gets back."

"Will do, doc!" Pinstripe looked down at the bandicoot. "Don't worry, Lil' Red! The doctor will see you shortly!" Pinstripe began laughing as he and Crash went back down the pitch black hall.


	9. Chapter 9: A New General

"I've missed you so much." He was surprised she could speak. "Did you come here to save me?" The bandicoot nodded. "Don't worry: if we're together, then nothing is going to stop us." She grabbed his hand and held it tightly. "Pinstripe calls me Tawna. It's nice to have a name. Do you have one?"

"Crash," a commanding voice spoke. Footsteps could be heard approaching the two bandicoots. "That's the only name HE deserves. He destroyed my precious Cortex Vortex and my chances to get off of this God-forsaken island." A small, bearded man walked up to them. "My name is Doctor Neo Cortex, and I will be your host for the evening. I see you've reunited with your female counterpart. Splendid. You can experience an excrutiating death togehter." He walked to the other side of the room. "I've had my assistant, Doctor Nitrus Brio reassemble the Vortex and tweak the Evolvo-Ray. We should have no problem with our next batch of bandicoots." He held up a fishnet filled with bandicoots squirming and screeching.

"Let them go," cried Tawna. "They've done nothing to deserve this!"

Cortex smiled. "There's nothing wrong with what I am doing. I'm merely giving them purpose, and with the tweaks on the Evolvo-Ray, they should be even more intelligent. Should I deny these two gifts to such precious creatures? Shouldn't they be able to walk on two legs and speak as you do?"

"You've locked me in a cage and have starved me. This is no gift." Tawna's voice died down to a whisper as she began to tear up.

Brio and Pinstripe walked into the room with several Lab Assistants. "It's good to s-see you again, Doctor C-Cortex. How was your visit?"

"Well, my dear Brio," Cortex began to power on the machines, "let's just say...we have a lot of work ahead of us. This Nexus kid is very impressive. His creature was far greater than I could've imagined." A high-pitched ring filled the room. "Bring the bandicoots over. Pinstripe, you stay put. I don't want any more accidents." He looked over at Crash with annoyance in his eyes.

"Will do, Doc!" Pinstripe cocked his gun and leaned back on the wall behind him.

Loud whirring and various beeps flooded the castle as Cortex removed one of the bandicoots from the net and strapped it on the Evolvo-Ray. Brio pulled a switch and the bandicoot was raised up inside the machine.

"Crash, we need to do something!" Crash looked around for some way out the cage: no tools, no keys, no way out. Tawna looked at Crash, "I have an idea." She began to scream at the top of her lungs, drowning out the sound of the machines.

"Pinstripe, go shut the bandicoots up!"

"Sure thing, Doc." Pinstripe walked over to the cage and hit the bars with the barrel of his gun. "Shut up, you two. Don't make me put some lead into your empty, bandicoot skulls." Tawna continued to scream. "Now listen her-"

Crash immediately grabbed Pinstripe by the collar and rammed his face into the bars, knocking him out. Tawna snatched the gun up and clumsily pointed it at Cortex, who hadn't heard anything that was going on. Crash put his hand on the gun and began to shake his head. He then guided it to the padlock keeping the door shut. Tawna silently nodded and pulled the trigger. The lock blasted off, and caused the entire group of Lab Assistants, as well as Cortex and Brio, to look over, seeing the knocked-out Pinstripe and the two bandicoots climbing out of their prison.

"After them," Cortex barked, "we can't let them escape again!" Tawna fired the gun, striking the Vortex, shutting it down immediately. "No! That's the second time you damned bandicoots have destroyed my work!"

The herd of Lab Assistants rushed at Tawna and Crash. Immediately, Crash began charging at them and destroying each robot one by one. He eventually defeated the entire group. "Not so fast, Crash." Crash turned to see that Cortex had taken Tawna hostage, and had his laser gun to her head. "You think you can outsmart me, rat? You may have broken my Vortex again, but I can always fix it. It's just a matter of time before I have plenty more of you at my disposal." He lowered his gun. "Surrender yourself to be my general, and I'll let your flea-riddled girlfriend go. Sound fair?" Cortex began to laugh.

"Don't do it, Crash!" Cortex shoved the gun back up to her head.

"Shut your mouth, bandicoot." He turned to Crash again. "What's it going to be?"

Suddenly, a blinding light filled the room and a ringing sound pierced Crash's ears. Muffled screams could be heard. He could feel himself being shoved, and allowed himself to move in that direction. As soon as his eyes readjusted and the ringing died down, he could see that Aku Aku was in front of him outside of the castle.

"Hello, bandicoot. I apologize for letting you think I was gone. I can recreate my physical form as long as my spirit is intact. I decided to wait until you and Pinstripe were gone so that I could rescue you. I tried to rescue the other bandicoot, but she was being taken away already. Don't worry though, we WILL rescue her." Crash sat down. So much had just happened. As everything that had just happened to him slowly poured into his head, he began to sob. He couldn't protect Tawna. Again. Her words echoed in his mind: "if we're together, then nothing is going to stop us." They were apart, and he had let her get captured, or even worse, killed. It was too painful for him to think about. Tawna was more to him than a cute girl, but the first person to fill him with emotions more complex than those he had experienced prior to being evolved. He couldn't lose her again.

Aku Aku came over to Crash. "We can hide over on the second island until things die down. Then we can storm the castle once more. We know where he his now. We can take him." Crash looked up at Aku Aku and smiled.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cortex blinked as his vision came back to him. Tawna was being held by the Lab Assistants, but Crash was nowhere to be found.

"Damn it, Brio, how did he escape again?!" Brio, who was wiping away the fuzzed vision from his eyes quietly piped up.

"D-doctor, he will be back for the girl. We just need to wait." Cortex began to grin.

"Of course, Brio! We have his bait. We'll be ready next time." As he finished talking, the Evolvo-Ray stopped humming and powered down. A female bandicoot was lowered on the table, passed out from exhaustion. Cortex approached the table she was resting on. "Hello, my newest Cortex Commando." He waved the Lab Assistants away, who grabbed Tawna and carried her off to another cage. "You are a radiant thing, aren't you?"

"What should we do with the C-Cortex C-Commando until the Vortex is prepared again?"

"Let's not call her Cortex Commando, it's too formal and long." It was apparent to Brio that Cortex had begun to act affectionate towards his new creation. "Let's shorten it down to something more appealing... like Coco."


	10. Chapter 10: Polyphemus

"Sir, Nexus has requested an audience with you. What would you like me to tell him?"

Talins began flipping through the channels on the small television in the room. "Tell him I'll be there within the hour," he said with a smile.

"Yes, sir." The screen clicked off, and Talins began turning up the volume.

"...have been advised to stay in the designated shelters until Police can make sure that there are no more bombs or other weaponry located in the city. If you are just tuning in with us, VPLM Joseph Talins is said to have been the target of yesterday's helicopter bombing at the Pentagon. His assistant was found with detonation equipment, as well as a statement from Security Officers that she had attempted to kill Talins when the blast proved ineffective. Several hundred people have been pronounced dead, as well as several hundred more in critical condition. This is the third reported terrorist attack on the Vice President so-"

Talins clicked off the television and grinned. No one suspected him for a moment. Little did the public know that Julie was an intelligence spy assigned to expose him of traitorous activity. Now she was seen as a terrorist, and those groups trying to bring down Talins would not claim her as their own. The whole plan had come together perfectly. He gathered his belongings and headed out of the bunker.

The main entrance of the Pentagon had been completely destroyed, and now, only ghostly tarps hung where walls stood, slowly waving in the breeze. The landing pad as well as the walkway were filled with gravel. No one was around except a couple of police, who were silently placing numbers around countless chalk outlines. A black helicopter landed and Talins stepped in. They started up, and as Talins looked down, he could see the full extent of chalk outlines numbering the ground. The area around the landing pad was empty and dead. Only the sound of the helicopter echoed through the streets and off the buildings of a recovering city once filled with hope, now only filled with fear and pain once again. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly drifting to sleep.

. . . . . . . . .

The sound of the blades died down and Talins' eyes began to open. They were in the middle of the jungle. Slowly, the sounds of bugs and birds immediately filled the helicopter, prompting Talins to step out. A man approached him from the flora.

"Ah, I see the nuclear batteries do not disappoint, Talins. Do all of the government helicopters have these?" Nexus stepped into the clearing, completely disregarding Talins, admiring the helicopter.

"I-I guess they do." Talins was a little taken back at the obscurity of the question. "They can get us from point a to, well, just about anywhere. They're much faster than they used to be; filled to the brim with new warfare tech to make them more efficient than any plane."

"Amazing. It used to take months for people to sail from one continent to another. Now you can fly from what's left of America to the underbelly of Australia in under a day. It's funny how war can make nations crumble, but only further the progress of technology." Nexus began running his hand down the side of the helicopter. "Thank you for answering my summons, Chairman Talins. The board requested that I do so immediately."

"Why would they tell you that, son?" Talins' interest had been genuinely peaked.

"Polyphemus has finally finished recovering, and is ready to move about on his own. His brain is now fully functional. I wanted you to see him for yourself."

Talins could feel his heart pound in excitement as he and Nexus entered his lab and began to walk down several flights of stairs.

"You know, old man, Cortex dropped by a couple of days ago. Wanted to see my project. He also found out about what happened to his empire. He isn't too happy." Nexus looked to Talins for a reaction, but there was none.

"That's too bad." There was silence. Nexus spoke up once more.

"Whose voice do you hear when I speak, Talins?" More silence. Nexus could hear that Talins had stopped moving, so he did as well.

"My son's. Kovay. Family name." Talins began to tense up and grabbed both handrails. "Had him when I was finishing up my studies. Brown eyes just like his mother. Laughed like her too. We got too caught up in loving him that we didn't see what was wrong with him. Had lung cancer. Eight years old, and he had lung cancer. Tell me how that's fair. Doctors couldn't treat him properly and he passed within weeks of being diagnosed. I never have gotten over how when he passed, he had a smile on his face." Talins looked down at the floor. Nexus noticed his tears as they reflected what little light filled the stairwell. They hit the ground with a soft pat sound. "He made me realize the world isn't fair, and acting fair is never going to fix it. Giving into corruption is all we can afford."

"That's the truest thing I've ever heard." Nexus continued walking. Talins wiped his eyes and followed after him. "Kindness is a weakness. When you show kindness to others, you're exposing your weak points. People will not hesitate to exploit those, and ruin everything for you for their own selfish reasons."

They finally reached the bottom and Nexus grabbed the door handle. "I present to you, Talins, Polyphemus: Ancestor of Humanity!" Nexus opened the door to reveal the gargantuan hulk, staring coldly at Talins with his single eye. Talins couldn't move from the fear that rushed into his body.

He recomposed himself and pushed his glasses back up his nose. "S-so, this is the creature. I'm glad your project was such a success. What is your next step?"

Nexus walked in and grabbed a couple of papers lying on a nearby desk. "I need the DNA samples of four others before I can move forth. I know of one that is located on these islands, but it will require me to delve into these ruins. The other three, well, I'm not sure of yet."

"I still don't understand, though...what is the purpose of having five creatures resurrected from DNA samples? How will this help you dominate what Cortex left for you?"

"That's where you will need to trust me, Talins. It's all according to plan so far. Destiny has a way of working things out. You'll see."

Talins approached the restrained creature, which continued to grunt and make guteral noises. "Hello, Polyphemus. I am Joseph." He turned back around and began to walk to the middle of the room.

"Hello, Joseph. I am Polyphemus. Pleased to meet you," rumbled a low but powerful voice in a whispered yell. Talins immediately jumped and turned back to Polyphemus to see him smiling with a mouth full of double-edged swords, dripping with saliva and blood.

Nexus began to laugh. "Not quite as stupid as you thought, huh, Talins?" Talins was wide-eyed and speechless. The voice had rattled his bones and vibrated through his skull. The sheer fear that he was filled with forced him to throw up his lunch on the floor and bring him to his knees. He began coughing and shaking, never breaking eye contact with Polyphemus. "Yeah, he can make people do that. Don't worry though, old man; you'll get used to it."


	11. Chapter 11: The Sky Demons

"We should be safe here." Aku Aku began to glow again. A massive monsoon stormed into the archipelago, forcing Crash and Aku Aku to take refuge in one of the hundreds of openings to the ruins. The torrential rain created a deafening wall of water. They moved farther back into the ruins. Aku Aku focused his lasers to light the once burned-out torches along the walls. Pictures lined the walls, detailing many faces of the islands' ancestors. Crash sat down to finally catch his breath from recent events, but as he did, he felt a sharp pain in his leg. He dug down into his pocket and pulled out a sparkling, clear gem. Aku Aku looked on with awe.

"You managed to steal the gem from Papu Papu? That's very impressive." Crash set the gem on the ground between them, and it started to hover above the ground ever so slighty, refracting light across the ruins as in began to spin. "There are 49 of these gems around the islands," Aku Aku mentioned, "each one is said to create a stepping stone, leading to another world. Those who travel to the world are confronted by a being who exists outside of time." Aku Aku looked into the void past the light of the torches. "This being may be able to help us save Tawna and the islands. I think we should continue deeper into the ruins." Crash nodded in agreeement. The two began to delve deeper into the stone tunnel.

"A great kingdom once thrived here." Aku Aku began examining the pictures along the wall as they walked. "These islands were the foundation for all life on Earth, ruled under a single king. He protected the islands from the demons of the skies with 25 crystals, which harnessed a great power when united. My brother and I encountered one of these Sky Demons. The mighty beast almost destroyed us both until we were saved by the King." Crash stopped walking, and motioned for Aku Aku to stop, too. In front of them was a collapse in the tunnel, which had opened up ruins even deeper down. Aku Aku was perplexed. "There was more?"

The two of them began to slowly make their way down into the second set of ruins. The appearance differed greatly from the ruins above them; each wall contained strange symbols from floor to ceiling. The stone was grey with soot and damp from the trickle of rain from above.

"I-I've never seen this place." Aku Aku began to look back up from where they had come down from. The ceiling around the collapse was covered in claw marks with a deep brown tint. The hole did not have clean edges, but rather, heavily textured from being chipped away. "The roof did not collapse on itself...this room was broken out of." Both Crash and Aku Aku began to nervously explore the entirety of the hidden chambers.

"After this room, it would probably be best to head back out," Aku Aku murmured. They poked their heads into the final room. Inside was a massive room, filled with gold and stone. A lone throne sat in the middle, adorned in very precious jewels. The air was heavy and hot, unlike the other rooms. Looking down, the two saw a multitude of exotic swords and shields, covered in both rust and soot. Amongst the rubbled remains of weaponry were several dessimated and oddly proportioned skeletons, which, if stood up, could easily reach eight feet. Aku Aku was speechless. He moved back from the skeletons in fear.

"Crash, what you're standing by...are the remains of the Sky Demons." Crash immediately stepped back. Their skulls were small and black, with two very large teeth protruding from them. The eye sockets were long and narrow and seemed to watch them after every step they took. The shoulders were only beaten by their enormous claws in size. Crash noticed that one of the claws had a glisten in it. He walked over to it and attempted to open the claw. As he struggled, a gem fell out and, as the previous one had done, began to float on its own and slowly spin.

"I don't understand," Aku Aku trembled, "why are there so many of them? How did they obtain a gem?" Aku Aku was then interrupted by an echoed sound of laughter coming from behind them.

"M-my n-n-name is-s..hehehehe...R-Ripper R-Roo...hahaha...let's p-play a l-little...heehee while!" He broke back into a maniacal laughter as he hopped to the two of them. He seemed to have been a kangaroo, wrapped up in a strain jacket. His tongue was lying out of his mouth, and his eyes never seemed to focus in the same direction.

"Cortex must have sent him after us," Aku Aku stated in a now serious tone. "Let's take care of him before any more cronies show up."


	12. Chapter 12: Ripper Roo

Crash immediately ran up to the kangaroo like he had done with all of his previous encounters with opposition, but the kangaroo, as mad as he was, kicked Crash back with his two large, blue feet. The force rocketed Crash into the opposite wall, and the kangaroo merely flipped back onto his feet once more.

"Y-you're gonna have to t-t-try harder than...heheheheh...THAT!" He lunged towards Crash in one monstrous leap. Aku Aku immediately fired a beam, but the kangaroo was too quick, and leaped up into the air and onto Aku Aku. Crash pulled himself up. He looked back to see a a crack his body had made in the wall, all the way up to the ceiling. The place was too unstable to fight for too much longer. Crash snapped off the claws of the remains of one of the Sky Demons and threw them at the blue bullet. Almost instinctively, the kangaroo kicked them back at such a high speed, they became lodged into the wall behind Crash. He heard the wall crack even more as a drop of water fell on his head.

"F-face it, b-b-bandicoot...hahaha...there is n-no way to w-w-win against the m-m-mighty...heeheehee...Ripper Roo!" He began rolling on the floor, not being able to control his laughter. "I-I will taste b-bandicoot blood tonight!" He spun on the ground, propelling himself onto the wall, where he bounced off towards Crash at a blinding velocity. It was all Crash could do to defend himself against the swift and powerful kicks that seemed to come from every direction. Aku Aku got up again and fired his laser at Ripper Roo. The blast grazed his skin, causing him to fall of course and crash into several Sky Demon bodies. Crash looked around his feet and found one of the soot-covered swords and picked it up. Ripper Roo hopped back up and grinned at Crash.

"That s-sword will only...hahahaha...SLOW YOU DOWN!" He lunged at Crash, who immediately thrust the sword into the cracked wall behind him. He closed his eyes and a massive torrent of water savagely plundered into the room, filling it up about halfway. Aku Aku began to laugh.

"Too bad, Ripper Roo. It looks like you've lost your speed. Give up, so we won't have to harm you."

His head burst through the lake that Crash had created. "Y-you tricked..hehehehe...ME!" He looked down into the murky water and began to laugh. "You f-f-forgot one small d-detail..."

The bodies of the Demons began to bob up to the surface of the water. Ripper Roo swam up to one and climbed ontop, regaining his balance. As soon as he did, however, the skeleton began to sink back into the water, forcing him to quickly hop between skeletons to stay atop the water. Crash floated up and clutched clumisly onto a skeleton, gasping for air. The only one not affected was Aku Aku, who was able to hover above the water.

"Y-you...hahaha...STILL LOSE!" Ripper Roo sprung at Aku Aku, who barely managed to dodge the kick.

"Crash, there's only one option; I'm going to need you trust me." Aku Aku looked over to see that Crash had slipped off and was slowly falling deeper into the water. Immediately, Aku Aku dived in and placed himself on Crash's face just seconds before his lungs filled with the tainted soot-water. A light began to fill the room up, and the murky water turned crystal clear, as the shining, Aku Aku-possessed Crash rose above the water. He then descended onto the water and began to gently walk on it towards Ripper Roo. The sound of drums echoed in the room around them.

"W-What have you done?!" Ripper Roo began to hop away, but in vain. Aku Aku caught up to him within the second, snatching him up by the neck.

"Ripper Roo, you have meddled with forces outside of your control," Aku Aku boomed, "begone, before I see fit to destroy you!" He raised his free hand, and the water began to evaporate into a mist. As soon as their feet touched the solid ground once again, Aku Aku let go of Ripper Roo's neck, allowing him to dart out of the ruins and into the jungle. Aku Aku and Crash began to glow again as their bodies came apart. The room went dark once more, and the sound of drums quieted. Crash collapsed on his backside, eyes wide in disbelief.

"I'm sorry to have done that to you, my child, but I saw no other option." Crash pulled himself up and forced a smile through the pain he was feeling from being beat into the wall. "Let's find that gem and move back towards the surface; I believe the rain has finally stopped." Crash nodded, and scooped up the gem, which had fallen onto the throne. As he touched the throne, his eyes immediately closed and he collapsed onto the ground. He could hear Aku Aku's foggy voice slowly fade away as a vision flooded into his head.

A light grew bright, and his body moved him through a hallway into the same room, but adorned with tapestries and color. He was guided towards the throne, where a long man sat. He couldn't see him, but he understood that he was there. The man began to speak not in words, but in color and feeling through his mind. He could tell the man was fearful of his life. From out of his line of sight, what he understood to be his minion, sliced the man's neck, allowing his blood to spill. The trail of blood weaved and moved along the floor like a serpent, meeting several other snakes of blood. They hissed and and snapped at each other, eventually coiling into one large serpent, which turned towards Crash. Unable to move, Crash could only watch as the red beast lunged at him. The snake pierced his fangs into Crash, piercing his skin. The pain immediately woke him up. Aku Aku was still trying to communicate with him.

"Are you okay, Crash? What happened to you?" Crash was dazed. He looked down at his chest to see four scratches in the shape of a square, each with a drop of blood protruding from them. He tried to stand up, but couldn't, as the pains from the fight suddenly took hold of his weak body. Aku Aku moved towards him. Crash looked in front of him and saw the gem, hovering and spinning as he blacked out once more.


	13. Chapter 13: Crash Bandicoot vs Nexus

Crash awoke once more to see that his chest was glowing. "I'm healing your broken bones. You should be healthy in a few minutes." Aku Aku closed his eyes, and the glowing spot grew. Crash could feel the pain in his body fading away. He stood up, and he and Aku Aku continued deeper into the ruins. "If we are pursuing the gems, they will most likely be found in here."

The sound of rain hitting stone had silenced, leaving only the ghostly sounds of the wind blowing deep into the tunnels. Stone became less and less apparent through the large amounts of guano. Looking up, Crash could see hundreds of bats. Aku Aku stopped moving.

"We've reached the center of the temple." All around them was a black darker than black, and an occasional platform dotted around the void. "I collapsed it in hopes that it would preserve the throne room." Crash began to hop from one platform to another in blind faith. They were cold and damp, making them hard to balance on. There was no indication of where the path moved. Eventually, Crash landed on a platform with a lone pillar. He squinted in the dim light to see the designs covering it. There were five faces, with one scratched out. Aku Aku came up to the pillar and began to shoot his laser into the face that bore a similar appearance to him. The face moved back, and the entire pillar collapsed within itself, revealing a staircase, which they began to move down.

When they reached the bottom, Aku Aku lit a single torch to reveal five thrones and at least twenty gems. "We took as many as we could find and hid them here," Aku Aku explained. "We couldn't have them split up and scattered around the world." Crash found a burlap sack in the corner, and began gathering up the gems. He loaded the sack onto his back in a similar manner to a backpack. "Let's move." Aku Aku and Crash climbed back up.

"Well, hello there. This is not a place I usually find company." A man with white hair stood at the top of the staircase. "You know, I've been trying to find out what was down there for a long time now. Thank you for opening it." Crash and Aku Aku trembled at the voice of this stranger. Crash heard Tawna's voice, and immediately grew angry and threw a punch, which the man dodged easily. "Slow down, let's not forget our manners. My name is Nexus, and I'm here looking for the Under Temple; the 'ruins beneath the ruins' if you will. It holds something I desire greatly."

"I am Aku Aku, protector of these islands, and this is Crash, a bandicoot who is helping me save these islands from the man in the black castle: Cortex. We don't want trouble." Nexus smiled.

"You know my good friend Cortex? Small world, isn't it?" He stepped closer to Crash, sizing him up. "Crash the Bandicoot. What a strange name. Do you remember me, bandicoot? It's been some time now." Aku Aku looked at Nexus nervously.

"H-how do you know Crash?"

"Oh, we go way back." Nexus then turned to Aku Aku. "How is it that you float, mask? You look no different than the garbage that the natives create. What makes you so special?"

"I'm much older than anyone on these islands."

"You don't look that old." His pleasant look turned stern. "Now I'm going to ask you, mask: where is the Under Temple?"

Aku Aku could tell that Nexus was up to no good. "I don't know of an Under Temple," he lied.

"Don't play games with me, you plank of tattered wood. Where is it?" He grabbed Aku Aku by the sides. Instinctively, Aku Aku shot a beam from his eyes right into the face of Nexus. "You damn fool!" He threw him down on the ground and covered his face. Blood began to seep into his sleeves. "You will both pay for your insolence!" Still holding his face, he kicked up at Crash's face, sending him to the edge of the platform.

Aku Aku and Crash both got up simultaneously and charged at Nexus. Nexus dodged their hits and struck a punch to them both, revealing two gaping cuts on either cheek. Blood began to roll down his face and onto the floor below him. Crash noticed that when the blood hit the stone, it hissed and evaporated, like water on hot metal. "Tell me, mask, who's voice do you hear when I speak?"

"I hear the voice of my brother. Why does that matter to you?"

"I'm always curious who I sound like to people." Nexus kneed Aku Aku, grabbed onto him, and swung him into Crash, knocking him back down.

"Crash, let's try what we did before!" Aku Aku lodged onto Crash's face, causing the dark chasm of a room to light up. Nexus grinned.

"I like a decent challenge." Aku Aku rushed at Nexus, who countered every attack with an attack of his own. "There's no way you can defeat me. I'm going to find the Under Temple with or without your help." He pulled out a knife from his jacket and immediately sliced Crash's arm. Blood began to trickle out. Aku Aku retaliated and landed and hit on Nexus' face. Nexus let out a cry of anger. "That's it!" He walked up to Aku Aku and ripped him off of Crash's face. They both fell to the ground unconscious. Nexus slammed down on Aku Aku, breaking him in half. Aku Aku dissolved into a powder, and was blown off into the void by the strong winds of the room. Nexus then bent down to Crash and touched his cut. Instantly, Crash let out a blood-curtling scream. "Thanks for the help, Crash. I can't wait to see you again." Nexus walked off into the shadows, leaving Crash knocked out in the middle of the void.

Minutes later, Aku Aku appeared where he had disappeared from. "Who was that child..." Crash slowly got up, and without talking, headed back through the tunnel and into the jungle with Aku Aku.

. . . . . .

Nexus pressed his hand on the wall in front of him, and a room opened up. He walked inside to find a lone helmet resting on a podium. "Finally," he whispered to himself. "Hello there, Manum Domini. Welcome to the Nexus Angels."


	14. Chapter 14: Coco Bandicoot

Coco began rapidly punching keys, creating long sequences of letters and numbers in seconds. Almost immediately, the screen went black and a green light came on.

"Well done, General Coco," Cortex remarked. His voice could be heard over an intercom. "How you ever came out of the same womb as that damned Crash Bandicoot is beyond me. Has Doctor Brio put you through your physical diagnostics yet?"

"Not yet, Doctor." Coco stood up from the chair with a satisfied smirk on her face. She had long, flowing blonde hair that covered a single eye. Her figure was small and delicate, but appeared ferocious under the black skin-suit with a large 'N' printed on the front. "Let's be quick. I want to wrap my fingers around that scrawny neck so we can get this world domination party started."

"In time, Coco." Cortex took his finger off of the intercom and turned to face Pinstripe, who had been smoking in the back of the room.

"She's no Tawna, Doc, that's for sure." Pinstripe flicked the butt on the ground and stamped it out with his shoe. "But there ain't no way I'm goin' against a girl like that toe-to-toe. She's a heck of a furball."

Cortex walked over to where Pinstripe was standing. "I meant to ask you personally the other day, Pinstripe: what did we get negotiated? We're running off of the floor of the vault right now, and the Council has completely cut us off."

Pinstripe looked disappointed. "The only group we could talk to was Hezbollah, but I couldn't get two words out before they started firin' on us. Everyone's too busy defendin' what they got right now, no one wants to advance on anyone else. There are some isolated clans, but they don't have anything good for us. Just promises and alliances; nothing substancial." Pinstripe looked up to the ceiling. "How d'you think Roo's holdin' up?"

Cortex's disposition turned dark. "Ripper Roo and Crash are physically evenly matched. The only leg up on Crash that Ripper Roo has is his lack of control, but with that mask of his, I doubt he has a chance. If he can't stop him, maybe Kong can. From where the marsupial escaped to, they'll have to go through the old mines to get back here, giving Kong the homefield advantage. We have a couple of days before they can even manage to get there, and if they do somehow make it here, there are four of us that he'd have to get through to get to Tawna."

A buzzer clicked and Brio's voice came throught the room. "I have p-prepared Coco's p-physical test. Meet me on the balcony." Cortex opened Coco's door, and him, Pinstripe, and Coco walked through the hall together.

"What can I expect to face, Doctor?" Coco's tone was very harsh and strict.

"I can't tell you that, dear. Part of the challenge is to act on instinct."

"If it's anything like my test, doll, there's gonna be about four cronies and a couple of targets. Nothing that I couldn't handle." Pinstripe braggingly began to flex his muscles, but failed to impress Coco who rolled her eyes.

"From what I've seen, Pinstripe, your only usefulness on my team is your shot. I could care less about your lack of physical tone." Pinstripe's eyes grew wide and his step slowed. "Now, as your commanding officer, I demand that you take your job a little more seriously."

"Y-yes ma'am." Pinstripe remained silent for the rest of the walk.

When they arrived, it was dark and storming. Brio had an umbrella for himself and handed another to Cortex. Mirrors were positioned all around the balcony: on the roof, attached to walls, and dangling from overhangs. A small target was placed on another balcony a great distance from them. In front of Coco were seven, unactivated Lab Assistants.

"Now, Coco," Cortex began yelling through the drowning roar of the storm. "You have one of my laser guns. With it, you must shoot the target with only a single shot. To be able to fire your gun, however, you need to defeat the Assistants with physical combat. As you can see, your area for combat is very small and crowded, so you will need to rely on more concentrated power. Are you ready?"

Coco nodded and immediately, the Lab Assistants were activated, and they ran towards her. She waited for them to grab her, and grabbed the one facing her, tripped him, and stepped through his head. She then kicked the lifeless shell into two other Lab Assistants, knocking them to the ground. One grabbed her by the neck, and Coco flipped him over her and onto another Lab Assistant, breaking them both. She reached into the top one and pulled out a rod that acted as part of the arm, and thrust it through the heads of the two that she had knocked down, short-circuiting them. She turned to her left and swiftly kicked another Lab Assistant off of the railing, leaving only one coming at her from behind. Before it could reach her, she grabbed it by the head and fired her laser gun down the length of it's body. With all of them dead, she looked back up to Cortex, breathing heavily. The rain had stopped, making her breath audible. She shook her hair, casting out some of the water.

"Amazing job, furball," Pinstripe barked from the other side of the railing, where he had watched the whole fight transpire. "'Cept you forgot the target, and you already used your laser. Looks like you fail!" Pinstripe started laughing as Coco walked up to him angrily. She snatched the gun from his holster and cocked it with one hand, aiming it at Pinstripe's head. Pinstripe screamed and ducked as she fired the gun without hesitation. He slowly stood back up. "What the hell is your problem, bandicoot? Are you determined to kill me?" Coco ignored him and continued to stare off where she had fired the gun, with a smile slowly crossing her face. Pinstripe stopped yelling at her and turned around to see the target in the distance swinging with a single, small hole in the very center.

"What were you saying, Pinstripe?" She tossed the gun in the air, and Pinstripe dived for it, barely catching it. She walked over to Cortex and Brio.

"Good job, Coco. Although it wasn't what we expected, the job was done, and executed resourcefully and beyond the level of skill that we anticipated. You have passed." Cortex took the gun back from her, and Cortex, Brio, and Coco began to walk back inside leaving Pinstipe dripping wet with a dumbfounded expression on his face. As they all walked in, Coco leaned back out and stuck her middle finger back out of the doorway.


	15. Chapter 15: Manum Domini

"Welcome, Nexus." Nexus walked into the well-furnished room to see Talins sitting in a large armchair. Heads of animals filled the spaces in the walls where the were no books. A large fire was set, giving the room a hearty light. "I imagine your trip was pleasant?"

"It certainly was." Nexus paused. "I just had to make a quick stop so I could pick this up." He reached into the satchel he had been holding and pulled out the rusty helmet he had recovered from the ruins.

Talins looked uninterested. "What is this supposed to be? There won't be a trace of DNA on the thing. How are you going to bring another monster back with this?"

"It's not a beast, Joseph. It's a spirit. It requires...a certain touch to return the spirit to its physical home." He placed the helmet on the ground and with his right index finger, gently pressed against the center of the helmet and with his other index finger, pressed on a tattoo located on his right wrist. The tattoo then began to slither, with a fragment of the mark sliding down onto the helmet causing it to glow with a blue light. The helmet then rose up into the air, forcing a darkness out from under it, creating a body. The complete spirit was over six feet tall and sucked up all of the heat in the room. It didn't make a sound, but in his head, Talins could hear voices screaming softly. "His name is Manum Domini, and he is the next piece of the puzzle. He is just as powerful, if not more so, than Polyphemus to boot. Manum feeds on heat, whether it be from temperature, or from the very depths of the human body." Nexus turned to Manum. "Leave us, Domini." Immediately, the spirit vanished from the room, and the warmth of the fire returned.

"Looks promising, son." Talins took his glasses to a cloth in his other hand and began to rub the lenses. "We're not going to need monsters, though. It'll just scare the people. What we need is you out there, talking to the people, letting them know that you're the one that brought down Neo and saved the world." Nexus didn't respond. "I have a conference set up for you at the Pentagon in regards to the attack. I want your face out there, but I'll answer the questions. No one has actually addressed the issue as of now, and this week would be the perfect time for that. People are scared and stupid, son. In times like this, getting good press will bring you all the way to the top. The World Leader is in hiding, and, with a few strings pulled, will be removed from office, leaving it vacant. Who better to fill the seat than you? Lead the people astray with promise and corruption. We can take the world together, Nexus." Talins began to sip on a cup of tea he had picked up.

They sat quietly for what seemed like half an hour. Finally, Nexus spoke up. "I encountered Cortex's project: Crash the Bandicoot." Talin adjusted himself in the seat and set his tea down.

"Crash? What is Crash?"

"He's an enhanced animal that Cortex has created. He also has other animals, but none are as strong as this one. I encountered him when I went to pick Manum's helmet up."

"Did he speak of his intentions?" Talins began to lean into Nexus' conversation.

"From what I've picked up on, they're trying to stop Cortex. I easily defeated him, but he could be a problem for us."

"So send Polyphemus and Manum Domini to crush him, what's the big deal, boy?"

Nexus paused. "It's not that easy...they could storm Cortex's castle, but Crash is another story."

A smile began to form on Talins' face. He once again picked up his tea and began to sip on it. "It might be in our best interest, then, to plan an attack on Cortex, and get him out of this race. If there's no Cortex, then the bandicoot shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"That's just what I was thinking, Talins. I'll round up Polyphemus and Manum and then Neo and I can see who has the more deserving creation: my ancient monsters of lore, or his pathetic animals."


	16. Chapter 16: The Voice of the Crystal

The air was thick and moist, making breathing difficult for the already tuckered bandicoot. His hair sank as both he and Aku Aku made it to the beach.

"I'm afraid we aren't strong enough, bandicoot. We barely survived against Ripper Roo...and Nexus..." Aku Aku's voice trailed off as he looked off into the sea. "...Nexus is far too powerful for us." Crash nodded as he slowly sprawled out on the sand. "We can only hope that he isn't teaming up with Cortex…who knows what he wanted in the ruins." He pressed himself into the sand upright. "We need to move a little more cautiously; I don't know where Ripper Roo or Nexus are, and who knows what else could be waiting for us ahead. We need to get through the mine to reach the other side of the island."

Crash could sense that Aku Aku was rustled by their defeat by Nexus. His fears of losing Tawna had stirred up again when Nexus had spoken to him. How did he obtain her voice? The fear quickly turned into anger, and he drove his fist in the ground, pulling himself up.

"Where are you going?" Crash didn't respond and marched into the woods. He blindly walked as he thought about how he left Tawna again in Cortex's grasp. He knew she was bait that he couldn't help but take. The thoughts blinded his senses as he continued to walk. He eventually stepped and fell into a ditch face-first. He pulled himself up to meet a gleaming, purple rock protruding from the ground. His anger and fear immediately faded away as he gazed upon it. Mesmerized, he began digging it out of the ground with his bare hands.

The beautifully crystalized rock began to shine as Crash held it up to the light. He closed his eyes, hearing a faint voice from inside of it.

"What is your name, child?" The voice was not audible, but Crash could feel it inside of his head. He looked down at the crystal, communicating back with his own mind.

"My name is Crash the Bandicoot. What are you?"

"I can sense that I am your one hope of obtaining what you truly desire."

"What makes a shiny rock think it can help me?"

"What you're holding is a Crystal, and, because you are holding it, I can speak to your subconscious. I am a very powerful spirit, and can help you to become stronger to save the one you love."

"You can help me save Tawna? How?"

"Close your eyes and let go of your thoughts."

Crash obediently closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. Everything was dark, but somehow, he could feel himself inside of his own mind. A cloud of white also materialized into his mind. "Hello, Crash," the cloud spoke in a deep whisper, "come towards me, child." Crash walked on what seemed like air towards the cloud. He breathed deeply, and could see the cloud get sucked up inside of his nose and feel it fill his body. "So much potential, bandicoot." Crash looked down to see his arms moving on their own. Slowly, the feeling left his feet, then his arms, and finally, he could only watch as his body was being controlled by the spirit. The darkness faded, and the jungle once again surrounded him. Unwillingly, he began to walk to the sea. The sky had darkened, and Aku Aku was nowhere to be found. He looked down to see his foot submerged in the water, then his other foot. Suddenly, he was completely under the water. His eyes grew wide in fear, and he began to struggle and panic. He tried to scream but he couldn't, and finally his eyes shut.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Ay unga bay?" Crash awoke in the ditch he had fallen in to see two natives talking to each other in front of him. He saw the Crystal in front on him and placed his hand around it, pulling it out of the ground. The two natives began yelling at one another until one of them stabbed through Crash's hand with a spear. White noise filled his ears as the pain shot through him. With his other hand, he snapped the spear at the head, and pulled out the sharp stone broken through both sides of his hand, revealing a dripping, red hole. He managed to still clutch the Crystal as he stood up, shaking. Anger took over him as he stared down the two natives, who weren't ready to back down without a fight. They felt that they had wounded the monster enough for the both of them to defeat him easily. One of the natives ran up to Crash screaming, flailing his arms in the air. Allowing his rage to take over, Crash immediately dropped to the ground, and swept the native out from under his feet. He then pressed his shoe on the native's face, muffling his cries for help. The other native could do nothing more than watch. Crash began to press down with all of the force in his body. The native began to scream louder as cracks could be heard coming from under Crash's foot. Finally, his foot jarred as the native's head snapped, shutting him up and causing him to go limp. Blood began to leak out of his nose and ears. The other native quietly took off into the jungle in fear for his life.

Crash looked down at his hand. The hole was as wide as it was deep, and blood continued to drip out of it. The blood, however, instantly stopped flowing and the hole began to emit a black smoke, which moved through the hole, healing his hand completely. The Crystal glowed for a moment and then faded away. Knowing that the Crystal he held was the key to victory against Nexus and Cortex, he carefully placed it in his bag, listening to it clank against the gems already inside. What he had experienced…was it a dream? The vision was fuzzy to Crash, but he could feel the power of the Crystal all the same. He returned to the beach to find Aku Aku.

"It's sunset, where have you been, bandicoot?" Crash reached for his bag, but stopped. He didn't want Aku Aku to know about his new source of power. He slowly put his hands back down, revealing to Aku Aku a pitch, black mark on Crash's hand. "What is that, Crash?" Crash looked down in a panic to see the spot on his hand where the smoke had been. He vigorously shook his head denying its importance. "Well, let's rest until morning. We can then move to the mines and essentially the other side of the island." Crash nodded, and once again, returned to his spot on the beach. He fell asleep immediately, smiling at his newfound power.


	17. Chapter 17: Koala Kong

The opening to the mine was becoming more and more clear. Crash's pace quickened. After waking up on the beach, his anger stirred back up. He needed to find Tawna.

Aku Aku could sense his anger and hurried to meet his pace. "What troubles you, bandicoot?" Crash stopped and turned to Aku Aku with a look of frustration. Aku Aku was taken back. "No need to be upset with me, Crash. I know you want to find Tawna. The mine is right up here. We just need to make it through to the other side. Calm down; if you get too angry, you'll lose your ability to focus, and we still don't know where Ripper Roo or Nexus are, or if Cortex has sent another crony to stop us." Aku Aku began to think to himself of why Cortex would want Crash to come back to him and not kill him on the spot. He had escaped from his fortress twice now. What makes him think he can take Crash on a third time? Suddenly, he remembered their host: Pinstripe. He carried what seemed to be a powerful weapon. Cortex must have put his faith completely in Pinstripe to stop Crash, and he knew that Pinstripe could blast another hole into him, keeping him from helping the bandicoot.

The mine was dark, lit only by the dim torches dotted along the cavernous walls. Much to Aku Aku's surprise, the mine was very much active as cart after cart of precious gems rolled by. Crash and Aku Aku ducked out of sight from the Assistants walking around the mine, the same ones that met them at the castle.

Crash was still angry, and couldn't stay still for long. He lunged from the flora and onto one of the Lab Assistants, ripping his head off.

"What are you doing?!" Aku Aku charged in after him, covering him from the surrounding Lab Assistants that had taken notice of the situation. He began to fire beams from his eyes at the ceiling, collapsing controlled portions onto the herd of Lab Assistants coming for them. Crash ran deeper into the mine, where his visibility began to fade away. He finally stopped, out of breath. He could hear bats screeching to see him, as well as the delicate drip of water on the rocks beside him. Aku Aku hurried in after him, transforming himself into a light source.

The light bounced off of several, large protruding gemstones lodged halfway into the ground.

"What has gotten int-" Aku Aku was cut short by a low, growling sound coming from the darkness around them. They immediately went back to back as they waited for the beast to attack them. A boulder flew through the air beside them. They didn't see it, but Crash and Aku Aku could feel the air where it had barely missed them. Crash ran towards the direction of the throw and threw his body into the darkness, hitting what felt like a solid wall. His legs began to throb as he hit the floor below. The air was heavy, and he could feel the breath of the mysterious creature. Aku Aku hurried over, revealing the beast to the both of them.

It was tremendously taller than Crash, and was as wide as it was tall. Its clumped, thick fur shone silver in Aku Aku's light. His head was small and mad.

"Another one of Cortex's monsters. Looks like this fellow used to be a mere koala." Crash's anger faded as fear struck him like an arrow. The koala let out a massive roar, shaking the floor beneath. He swung his massive arms down at Crash, throwing him against a wall. Aku Aku tried to help, but was also knocked against a wall. "Crash, we're going to need to-" Another boulder flew through the air and crushed Aku Aku, causing to him disappear instantly. It was just the Commandos left to fight now.

The light was still low, and Crash struggled to avoid the swings of the large creature. Hitting the wall dulled his senses, making it hard for him to dodge the deadly blows. Another hit. Crash couldn't see it, but he could definitely feel the blood pouring from his head. It got in his left eye, forcing him to fight with a single eye open in the dim light. At this rate, he thought, he would never be able to save Tawna if he continued to mortally wound himself against every obstacle he came across. He was too weak to save her. His anger began to build. His senses were dulled even more, but somehow, he was dodging blows more easily and with less effort.

"I told you I could help you, Crash. You just need to let me help you." The voice. It was back. Crash reached into his bag and pulled out the Crystal, now glowing tremendously. The koala couldn't handle the intense brightness, and cowered away, whimpering quietly. "This beast will be no match for the two of us. Aku Aku is weak, and cannot help you reach your full power. Release yourself to me." Crash closed his eyes and the rage took over him. He felt hot and cold at the same time. He immediately dashed at the koala and drove the pointed Crystal through his arm, causing him to roar in pain. He then, with one swift kick, uppercut the monster, dislodging his neck and killing him instantly. He roared in triumph and beat against the wall. "Yes," the Crystal spoke, "your power is limitless. There is nothing we cannot do!" Crash turned to see Aku Aku, who had come back and made it to see Crash kill the beast.

"I knew something was off," Aku Aku stated sternly, "you are being manipulated by that Crystal, Crash." He fired a beam at Crash, knocking him back slightly. "You need to focus, Crash. If you let him take you, there will be no way you can save Tawna." His words caused Crash to snap back. The Crystal fell from his hands. Crash fell to his knees. Aku Aku approached him. "It's okay Crash, let's get that Cryst-"

Crash stood up again, once more possessed by the spirit of the Crystal. "Our bond is much stronger now, Aku Aku," Crash spoke. "I don't need the Crystal to control him anymore."

"You are still only a wisp, and stand no chance of defeating me."

"Ah, but you doubt the creature that I possess. With him, I can kill you instantly!" Crash rushed at Aku Aku in a puppeted manner, striking him repeatedly, preventing Aku Aku from firing any kind of beam. Instantly, Aku Aku bursted energy from his self, throwing Crash back. "You are still as strong as ever, Aku Aku, but still no match for me. I WILL free myself from this prison!"

"Not through this bandicoot!" Aku Aku focused a beam of light into Crash's eyes, causing Crash's body to smoke. A white cloud appeared above him, and immediately got sucked into the Crystal, which then began to glow. Crash fell to the ground again, passed out. "Goodbye, brother." Aku Aku moved the Crystal towards a mine cart and hid it under some of the gems inside. "I guess we rest here for the night." Aku Aku's light faded away, leaving the two of them in complete darkness.


	18. Chapter 18: Talins' Assaut Part 1

Crash awoke to the sound of chirping. They were closer to the exit than he had thought. He looked around to see the caved-in mine, lit by only the sliver of light creeping in from the jungle outside. He could see remnants of what used to be mine carts, filled with various, shining stones. He froze when he saw the limp, grey arm protruding from under one of the piles. He remembered the monster that they had encountered just hours ago.

Aku Aku came up to Crash. "The Crystal you had contained an evil spirit, Crash." Crash's eyes grew wide. He was piecing together what had happened silently. "You held onto it for a long enough time for the spirit to seep inside of you. Feeding off of your anger, it killed the creature." Tears filled his eyes as he stepped back, shaking in fear. "I finally stopped you, and banished the spirit back into the Crystal. You should be safe now."

Crash sat against the wall, staring at the arm. He had killed the creature; a creature that only knew to serve its master. He buried his head in his arms.

"Let us go, Crash. We will reach the castle by nightfall." Aku Aku moved towards the light. Crash clumsily followed, still sore from the night's events. They continued to the beach, where the natives had abandoned one of their vessels. Crash pushed the boat into the water, and he and Aku Aku hopped inside. The ride was silent and cold. The waves caused the boat to creak and rock, and the smell of fish filled the air. Aku Aku could see that Crash was in pain. "Let me heal your wounds, Crash." He approached Crash, but Crash waved him away. Annoyed, Aku Aku began speaking in a more authoritative tone. "Punishing yourself isn't going to solve anything. Let me heal you." Hesitantly, Crash sat down on the edge of the boat, and a glow surrounded him as his wounds began to seal up. "You won't be able to stop Cortex if you're trying to teach yourself a lesson for something you didn't even do. The spirit killed the beast. Not you." Crash's disposition remained melancholy. Aku Aku decided to change the subject. "My magic is pushing us against some strong currents. It might be a while before we can get there." Silence. Aku Aku retreated inside of the boat, leaving the bandicoot to his thoughts.

. . . . . . . .

"I'm just sayin', doll, sooner or later you're going to have to admit that, out of the two of us, I'm the better shot." Pinstripe began to whirl his bourbon around in his hand. Coco sat back, smiling.

"I'd blast any target out of the air before you even had a chance to load that out-of-date gun of yours, Potoroo. You can't honestly believe that you can outshoot your superior." Brio appeared in the doorway of where they were sitting. They immediately stood up.

"We need you two in the hangar, we have an unwelcomed g-guest." Coco and Pinstripe exchanged concerned looks as they followed Brio down the hallway.

They arrived in the hangar to see Cortex staring out into the sky. In the distance, a plane was approaching. Pinstripe loaded his gun and cocked it as the plane came in for a landing. Out stepped three men: Talins, and two of his personal guards. Nexus also stepped out of the plane behind them. Cortex looked at both Coco and Pinstripe, who both knew they needed to be on their toes. Coco clutched the laser she had in her back pocket.

"Hello, Neo. You remember Nexus, my little investment, don't you?" Talins smiled while Cortex's face grew even sourer. "I know we have a bit of a…misunderstanding, Cortex, but I think we can take care of it right here and now." Another figure stepped out of the plane. "This is Polyphemus, one of Nexus' Nexus Angels.

Nexus stepped forward. "I also have a new angel, Cortex. Meet Manum Domini!" Immediately, Manum appeared between Nexus and Polyphemus in a cloud of smoke.

"You see Neo, I've brought my friends today so we can take you in. Nexus is a rising star, and to benefit us both, we're going to put him on a very high pedestal in the public eye. But the only way to do that is to have your head." Talins' voice grew deeper. "Now, Cortex. Let's see if your little Commandos can stand up to the power of the Nexus Angels!"

Polyphemus and Manum rushed at Coco and Pinstripe, who immediately began to fire their weapons at the two monsters. The bullets flew right through Manum, and Polyphemus was able to dodge every shot with his rapid movement. Polyphemus lunged at Pinstripe, who held him off by holding his Tommy as a shield, keeping the massive teeth of the creature from ripping off his head. Coco began to defend herself from the oncoming Manum, but it was no use; it grabbed her as if she had been standing in wait, and pulled her into the shadows.

"Coco!" Pinstripe desperately threw Polyphemus off of himself and jumped into the shadows. Polyphemus turned to Brio, who quickly drank a green liquid from a beaker in his back pocket. Before Polyphemus could grab him, Brio grew to an enormous size. He was green, with a massively swollen body. Talins and Nexus stepped back, wary of the unexpected turn of events. Mega Brio knocked the plane out of the hangar and into the ocean with a single wave of his arm. Everyone stumbled to the ground from the immense force of his swing. Brio picked the tiny Polyphemus up and hurled him out of the hangar doors as well.

"Pinstripe, we need to focus. Our punches and bullets go right through him. We're in his world now; maybe we can hit him now."

"Anything you say, doll." The two of them were surrounded by a foul blackness, which stretched on as far as they could see. They pressed their backs against each other and held their guns out. The air was thin and dry. Pinstripe and Coco could hear the other breathe as their anticipation shot through the roof. Suddenly, Manum dove at them from the side, splitting them up. He then appeared between them. "Let's get him!" They lunged at Manum, knocking him into the shadows. He began to melt back inside of the room.

"I don't know how we're going to beat him, Pinstripe," Coco said in a defeated tone.


	19. Chapter 19: Talins' Assault Part 2

The massive Brio lunged at Talins and Nexus, but Nexus quickly leaped in front of him and tripped him with a single kick. Brio fell, allowing Nexus to crawl on top of him. Nexus then proceeded to strike Brio's back, disabling his movement. Brio could only roar as he was easily incapacitated by the swift and small Nexus. Cortex nervously watched. Coco and Pinstripe were gone, and Brio was down. There was nothing he could do. He turned to see Talins shooting the oncoming wave of Lab Assistants, easily ridding himself of them. Filled with anger, Cortex pulled out his laser and fired at Talins, knocking the gun from his hand.

"We were supposed to be partners, Talins!" Talins, holding his hand, turned to Cortex. "We were supposed to take over the world again!" He fired a shot at Talins, who fell to the ground the avoid it.

Talins could see Cortex shaking, so he began to slowly approach him. "Son, it just wasn't profitable. What we need is someone to get behind the scenes and puppet the leaders of the world to reshape it. You could never be that person, Neo." Talins pulled a knife from his boot and rushed at Cortex. Reacting quickly, Cortex fired the laser. Losing his ability to focus, the shot bounced off of the castle wall away from Talins. He kicked Cortex's gun from his hand and swung the knife, nearly piercing his throat. "I'm going to have your head, Neo!"

Brio, in his rage, began stomp on the floor below him, causing Nexus to fall off of his back. He began to swing his arms, regaining feeling. "Drat," Nexus thought to himself, "he's too large and unstable to use any kind of disabling technique."

Towering above Nexus, Brio began to speak in a very gruff and repulsive voice. "It l-looks like I've got you corned like a rat, N-nexus!" He started throwing his arms out, only to miss repeatedly, which only made him angrier. Nexus began to notice that steam began to seep off of Brio's back.

"The angrier he gets, the faster he seems to burn through his concoction, maybe even to the point to where he'll revert back." Nexus calmed his body, and allowed himself to effortlessly dodge the punches with a very lazed demeanor.

Cortex threw a punch, socking Talins in the jaw, causing him to drop his knife. "It looks like we're going hand-to-hand now, traitor."

Talins stood up and rolled back his sleeves. "Sounds like a plan." He rushed at Cortex again, only to take a swift kick to the stomach, and then another to the head.

"You're too old, Joseph." Talins began to cough up blood on the ground. "I should've taken you and the council out a long time ago." Cortex walked up to him. Talins, unable to fight back looked around to see Cortex's laser gun lying on the ground next to him. Before Cortex could kick him, he quickly grabbed the laser gun and aimed it at Cortex, smiling.

"Looks like I got the better of you, son. Now, prepare to DIE!" Talins pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. His eyes widened as he tried to fire it again and again. Still nothing. "Come on, come on! Why won't it fire?!"

Smiling, Cortex answered, "You think I would be stupid enough to allow anyone else to be able to use my gun? How do you think I took over the world, Joseph, without a little common sense?" Cortex raised his foot, but was knocked aside by Nexus, who had rushed over to defend Talins.

"It obviously wasn't strength," piped Nexus. As he approached, Cortex quickly fired his laser, piercing Nexus' shoulder. Everyone was quiet as Nexus looked at his shoulder and laughed. The wound began to fill in where Cortex had shot him. "I'm full of tricks, Neo. Allow me to demonstrate." He turned towards Brio, who began to charge at him.

"No! Brio! Stay back!" Brio ignored Cortex and continued to run at the idle Nexus. He pulled back his sleeves to reveal bands of ancient text tattooed into his arms. He pressed the bands with his right hand, and his left arm began to glow. The words drifted from his arm and enveloped Brio, preventing him from moving. He then swung his arm left and right, knocking Brio from side to side. He then launched Brio up into the sky and slammed him back into the castle, destroying the ground under him. Brio fell deep inside. The words returned to Nexus' arm, and it dimmed back down to normal.

"It wasn't that hard to take you down from your throne, Neo." He started walking towards Cortex. "I just wished I could've killed you then. But that's alright." He squatted down in front of Cortex, who was still lying on the ground. "You see, now that you've served your purpose, I can dispose of you." He laid his hand on Cortex's head, and he touched his arm, causing it to glow again. Cortex closed his eyes as the words began to spiral around him.

"Not so fast, snowball." Nexus turned to see Pinstripe holding Talins' gun and Coco, who was holding Manum's helmet. "We finally figured out how to beat your lil' shadow buddy. Now, step away from the doctor, or I'm going to put a bullet through your brain. Pinstripe cocked the gun and extended his arm.

"N-no, Pinstripe," Cortex barely managed to speak, "He...he can regenerate. It won't have any effect." The words began to wrap around Cortex, squeezing him tightly.

"Well, Coco, how about a lil' science experiment, hm?" Coco continued to stare at Nexus with a half-smile on her face.

"Oh boy, Pinstripe, I love a good experiment. What will we conduct?"

"We is gonna find out how many shots to the head it takes to kill a silver-headed, son of a bitch." He fired the gun and pierced Nexus' face. The wound instantly healed. He kept firing, only to have the wound seal up again. "New idea, Coco. Hand me Cortex's laser gun." She proceeded to hand him the gun. Nexus just laughed.

"No matter how many guns you use, rat, you still won't beat me!" He pulled out the small yellow core from the laser and popped it inside of Talins' gun.

"Now, let's try this again." He fired the core into Nexus' head, where it was sealed up inside of his face. He then fired it again, shooting a bullet into the core, blowing up Nexus' head. The decapitated body of Nexus collapsed on the ground and melted into the stone below. Pinstripe cocked the gun again. "That wasn't so hard now was it, Cortex?" Cortex was still lying on the ground, covered in blood and flesh from Nexus' head. He wiped his face and stood up slowly.

"H-how did you know that would work?" Cortex said astonished.

"I didn't, Doc. Just a guess. Now what about this stiff neck over here?" Talins was inching his way back over to his plane, trying to escape from what he knew was an inevitable end. Coco nabbed him by the collar and dragged him back over to Cortex.

"We're going to take him back to his people and expose him for the traitor he is. Then, we're going to take over the planet."


End file.
